I am Steven Quartz
by BrightheartXCloudtail
Summary: Unaware of his true parentage, 10-year-old Steven Quartz-Universe was snatched up as a baby by a Peridot (who had recently betrayed Yellow Diamond in a split-second of emotion) in a frenzied attempt to blackmail Rose Quartz to come back to Homeworld with her to win her Diamond's favor back. The story is set ten years after the kidnapping.
1. Prologue

"I- think it's happening," Rose panted, laying on the makeshift cot in the back of Greg's van. The other Crystal Gems looked at her through tears, while Greg held her hands, comforting her.

"It's going to be ok, it's going to be ok, it's going to be ok," he murmured.

"Garnet, are you sure you can't predict what's going to happen?" Pearl asked through tears.

"No," Garnet said, as a single tear dripped down her cheek. "I don't know what's going to happen. This has never happened before. Ever."

Amethyst began to say something, shaking, when Rose gave a tiny yelp, just enough to be noticed. Greg and Pearl both rushed to her, but Garnet got there first.

"Are you okay, Rose?" she asked stoically.

"Of course she's okay," Pearl sniffled, "she has to be okay."

Amethyst groaned and looked away. "I think it's happening…" she murmured.

"No…" Pearl gasped, "it's too soon…"

Rose suddenly screamed, a pure, raw scream of emotion and guilt. Feelings of anger, sadness, and resent flooded out of her. She gasped, muttering apologies. Words like diamond, child, pink, lion, Greg, Nora, Steven, and sorry gushed out of her.

"Take care of them, Greg," she gasped, "watch over them...and watch over our child. They will be…"

With a blinding light similar to when a god would have shown their true form, Rose disappeared. The Gems shielded their eyes, and Amethyst shoved Greg to the ground. The Gems stood, shaken but unharmed. Greg rose to his feet and winced in pain. He was badly burned from the light. His face, arms, and legs were a tomato red. He gasped in surprise, and then in true pain. "Where's my child?" Greg screamed. "Where are they?"

Garnet scooped up a little bundle in a pink blanket. "This is your son, Greg," she said. "What did you want to name him?"

"Steven," Greg said with no hesitation. "That's what Rose would have wanted...wants, I mean, what?"

Garnet held out Steven to Greg, and Greg reached out to take him. Just as Greg grabbed hold of the most precious child he had ever seen, a blur of green jumped out of the nearby bushes and snatched the child out of his hands. The Gems and Greg heard a faint giggle as the green thing and their child disappeared into the night. Greg immediately started running, thinking he could catch up. Amethyst shifted into a lion and began racing along the streets, yowling Steven's name. Garnet and Pearl looked at each other in shock. Though they searched all night well into the morning, they couldn't find the strange green thing, which must have been a gem, or their beloved son. He was gone. Forever.


	2. Chapter 1: Gem Glow

The sun shone gently down on a cozy cottage built into the framework of a faded gold palanquin. An excitable ten-year-old burst out of the front door, yelling something about going out.

"Mom, I'm going out!" Steven said, excited to get out of his tutoring sessions for once. "I'll finish the worksheets when I get back, okay?"

A slightly higher-pitched voice responded wearily. "Yes, Steven, I give you permission to go to...what was it again?"

"Beach City! They have the best donuts and ice cream there, apparently!"

"Yeah, I guess- wait, what? Beach City? No, no, no, no, no, Steven. There's nothing there that interests you. What about our town? Ocean Town. It's much more exciting than that boring city."

"Are you nervous?" Steven asked. "Why are you rambling, Peri? You never ramble."

"Just explore the town, Steven," Peridot said, "and have some fun while you're at it. Don't worry about that other city. Our restaurants are much more interesting."

Steven waved at her, and then headed down to the central plaza of Ocean Town. He stopped at the local coffee shop, Think Coffee. "Hey, Brendan, hey, Bella," he murmured as he went inside.

"Hey, Steven, what's up?" Brendan Gundry said. He was a tall, heavy-set freshman in college working at Think Coffee to earn a little extra money. He brushed his wavy dark brown hair back from his face, revealing hazel eyes. His skin was tanned from living so close to the beach.

Bella Jacobs looked at Steven and blushed, murmuring a greeting under her breath. She was a couple inches taller than Brendan, and she was embarrassed about her body, which was starting to develop curves and fat usual for a senior in high school. She brushed her curly jet black hair into her dark brown eyes. Her skin was dark.

They both wore black sweatshirts unzipped over black sweaters emblazoned with a white coffee cup with TC written on it. They wore matching khakis and tan knee-high boots.

"What can I get you, Steven?" Bella asked, snapping out of her shyness for a second.

"Um, one Cookie Cat, please. And Peri's special, too."

"Got it," Bella said. She motioned to Brendan to get a Cookie Cat ice cream sandwich out of the freezer. She began to make a tall, nonfat latte with a caramel drizzle. She shoved the drink to Steven, muttering a goodbye as she darted into the back room.

"Hey, Bells," Brendan said, "do we have to restock the Cookie Cats again? I don't see any in this ridiculous freezer."

"What?" Steven said, turning around. "Are you guys out of Cookie Cats?"

"No way," Brendan said, "I just restocked them this morning."

"Fine," said Steven, "it's okay. Just forget about it." He stalked out with Peridot's coffee in hand. He ran to his house practically in tears.

"Peri, they were out of Cookie Cats and I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm sad, mom. What do I do?"

"Whoa, you got my latte, nice! Sorry, what did you say?" Peridot walked out of her room and noticed his tears. "Whoa, sorry, are you okay? Did those c- did someone buy all the Cookie Cats? I went down to the TC earlier today and I saw a whole bunch out in front. Don't worry, I saved a couple from your birthday for you just for an occasion like this."

"Wow, thanks!" The crisis forgotten, Steven ran to the refrigerator and grabbed one. Just then, he heard some screams break out near the plaza. "What is it now?" Peridot mumbled under her breath.

As they went outside, Peridot feeling unusually tense, Steven shuddered and held on to her. A giant wolf-like creature towered over Think Coffee, snarling and gnashing its teeth. They gasped in horror as it turned around. It had sparkling gold fur and long legs tipped with pure gold claws. Shards of gems embedded themselves in its fur and back, with the ripped remains of a black shirt hanging from the topmost shard closest to its neck. It had sharp teeth and a citrine gemstone embedded in its chest, directly below its neck. The gemstone was teardrop in shape and gold. It had a curly mane of sparkling gold almost covering the first gem shard on its back.

Peridot let out a little yelp, and it turned, piercing her with its solid gold gaze. It hesitated for the slightest moment, then leapt at her. "NO!" Steven shouted, and ran in front of her, putting up his hands. He closed his eyes and turned away, waiting for a massive blow from the corrupted gem. Instead, he heard a loud thump. He turned to see a pink shield emblazoned with a rose's thorn. It seemed to be coming from his own form, somehow. He looked at the gemstone on his stomach and gasped. It was glowing brighter than it ever had before.

Meanwhile, Peridot crept up behind the wolf and slashed at it with a small dagger. It poofed back into its gemstone, and she bubbled it quickly. The bubble disappeared before Steven could see it.

With a little yelp of exhaustion from holding his shield for so long, Steven collapsed to the ground. Peridot ran to him and hoisted him up. "You're a hero," she murmured, "and I'm glad you saved me, even if I did all the major work."

"You're a hero, too," Steven murmured, "and I'm glad I can eat some Cookie Cats when I get home."

Peridot gave a little giggle. "You can do whatever you want," she said, "because you've earned it."

The two gems walked back to the palanquin, Steven leaning on Peridot and sighing contentedly. Everything was peaceful.

~  
The group of four looked at the pile of ice cream sandwiches in front of them. "There is no way this is the answer," the lone man among them said, "it's way too close."

"Hey, we just went over to Ocean Town early today and stole these because of my prediction," the tallest woman murmured. "They have to mean something."

"Steven," the shortest one murmured, leaning against the slimmest one, "we're coming for you."

 **Review responses:**

 **5lookout, ali2331, and 90: Thanks, guys! love this support :)))**

 **Zanzar: I'm going to try to update as much as I can, though, since it is summer, I can't promise a chapter all the time. But I will try to update once every two days, or one day if there's enough time. I don't think the rating will change, either.**

 **A/N: So, these first couple chapters are going to be kinda filler, but don't worry. There will be a lot of plot brought in. What characters do you want to see introduced? What ships should I include? I have some ideas, but I always want to know what people think! Review with your answers!**


	3. Chapter 2: Laser Light Cannon

Steven stood in front of his favorite food truck, Biscuits on Wheels. "Hi, Miss Snyder. Have anything new today?"

Miss Claire Snyder looked at Steven and smiled widely. The tall, curvy woman ran a hand through her wavy jet black chin-length bob. The smile lines around her green eyes were defined, and her skin was dark.

"Same as we always do, cutie," she said. "The usual, I assume?"

"You know me so well," Steven giggled, "and yes, of course I would."

Miss Snyder snagged a steaming plate of biscuits and gravy-covered fry bits from the counter. "And does your mom want something, sweetheart?"

"The usual, probably," Steven said, grinning.

Miss Snyder grabbed a plate of scrambled eggs, sourdough toast, and sauteed mushrooms from the other counter.

"Tell your mom Claire says hey, will ya?" Miss Snyder asked.

"Of course," Steven said, "see you around."

Steven walked back to the palanquin, carefully balancing a steaming hot breakfast plate on each hand. Before he got there, he noticed a strange red eye in the sky. "Peri," he yelled, "what's that?"

His mom ran out of the house frantically. "What did you see? Oh, a red eye. Well- wait, a red eye?! Oh no- Yellow- Blue- they're coming. They must have found me. I knew I couldn't maintain this for too long-"

Steven cut her off. "What's more important is that it should be stopped, right? There's no reason to think it's here because of us. It seems to be turning to Beach City. Maybe that has to do with something."

"Oh, Beach City wouldn't attract something like that. It's too unimportant."

Peridot glanced up at the sky. _If the others noticed it, they would have done something by now. What was that weapon Rose Quartz used? Like a bazooka or some big gun thing?_

"Didn't you tell me that story about Rose Quartz? My-" Steven cut himself off before saying the words that he knew would break his mom's heart: my real mom.

"That's it!" Peridot crowed, remembering. "The laser light cannon. But where could we find one? They were rare back then, let alone now."

"Maybe we could find one somewhere," Steven said.

Peridot resisted her urge to smack him. _What did he not understand about them being rare?! Well, he is only 10._

"Anyway, why don't you just use your dagger?" Steven asked, looking at her inquisitively.

"No way. It's neither strong enough or powerful enough," Peridot said, looking at him pityingly. "I've got to teach you better about gem culture, it's official."

As they stood arguing, a shot echoed from the direction of Beach City. The red eye exploded in a flash of pink. "What was that?" Steven cried.

"Nothing at all," Peridot said, "or at least nothing that concerns you. Why don't we go eat? I bet your bits are all cold by now."

Steven pranced up ahead back to the palanquin. Peridot followed, slowly, trying not to think about what the others were capable of.

~  
The foursome collapsed in exhaustion, amazed at their destruction of the red eye.

"Do you think Steven is a good fighter?" the man asked, "or would he be more of a pacifist?"

"We can ask him all we want when we find him," the tall one said, "Let's just hope he's willing to come with us when we find him. The red eye worries me. Could that gem have sent out a signal to Homeworld? What if they capture us before we find him."

"We just can't think like that," the short one said. The slim one nodded in the background.

"Steven will be found. He has to be," the man murmured.

 **Review Responses:**

 **90: Thanks! Always glad to hear positive feedback**

 **A/N: Still some more filler. I feel bad for not being creative enough with the light cannon, but I didn't want Steven to find Lion or Rose's cave yet. It's still a little early. Any suggestions for humans, gems, or anyone else that should be a big part of the story? Any ships I should pursue? Review, review, review!**


	4. Chapter 3: Cheeseburger Backpack

Steven sat outside of the palanquin, reading his well-worn copy of the first _No Home Boys_ book. "Knock, knock," said a low voice, "Anyone home in there?"

Steven looked up into the face of Marie, the mailman. She looked down at Steven and giggled. "Nice book, huh? Didn't I deliver that to you?" Without waiting for a response, she handed him a package. The tall, muscular woman ran two hands through her super curly purple pixie cut. Her dark brown eyes and caramel-colored skin contrasted perfectly with her hair.

Steven opened the package and gasped. "A cheeseburger backpack? No way, I've wanted this ever since I saw it in that catalogue!"

Peridot came out from her room looking exhausted. Seeing Marie, she forced a smile and used one of her limb enhancer fingers to sign Marie's clipboard. "See you around," she muttered as Marie walked off.

Steven hugged her tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he said, giggling. "How did you know I wanted this?"

"Oh, just by listening to you go on about it every second of every day," Peridot giggled despite herself.

"Hey," Peridot said before she could stop herself, "how would you like to go with me on a mission? I want to destroy this old gem thing. Want to come with?"

"Yeah!" Steven said, smiling. "It won't be dangerous, right?"

Peridot smiled. "Would I put you in danger?"

They walked to the very back of the palanquin, where Peridot had placed a very beat-up warp pad. "I think this one still works, though it hasn't been used in ages," she noted.

They stepped on it, Steven clutching his bulging backpack, and were transported to a crumbling tower-like structure. "The Lunar Sea Spire," Peridot murmured, "it's so...broken."

They walked to a whirlpool, which blocked the way to the spire. "We can't just jump over it," Peridot mumbled, "there's definitely some sort of trap involved here. We'll just-"

Steven reached into his backpack and pulled out a couple winter jackets he had planned to wear in case it got cold. "We should swing across," he said. "Would that work?"

Peridot looked at him and giggled. "No way, Steven," she said, "let's just do this."

She reached into her forehead gem and pulled out her dagger. She threw it at the wall of the spire. A large piece fell perfectly across the vortex, covering it completely. Steven tied himself to his mom with one of the coats, and they walked across the makeshift bridge. Peridot stomped on a strange little creature. "A gem…" Steven whispered.

"No, Steven," said Peridot, "that's a crystal shrimp, not a corrupted gem. The shards on its back would be deadly to your soft feet. Just let me take care of this."

She stomped through easily with her limb enhancers, smashing every shrimp that got in their way. When they had crossed the room, they came to a pillar that served as a bridge over a small river. Once they had easily crossed that, they climbed the stairs to a pedestal at the very top of the tower.

"What's that?" Steven asked, pointing to a statue of what looked like a goddess of some sort.

Peridot gasped. "The Moon Goddess statue? It's here?"

She snatched it up, and the entire spire began to shake and collapse. Peridot shoved in into Steven's backpack, and they ran all the way back to the warp, just in time to see the spire completely collapse.

As they warped back, Steven couldn't help but wonder who had placed the statue in the spire. When he voiced his concerns, Peridot simply said, "No one you'd want to meet, though I'm sure they'd love to meet you," under her breath.

Steven and Peridot walked back home, lost in thought.

~  
"Well, at least we saved one gem monument," the short one murmured.

"I bet Steven would be a joy to accompany on these sorts of missions," the slim one said, twirling in delight.

"We're getting closer, I can feel it," the tall one said.

"I'm so glad. I miss him so much," the man said, worry in his eyes.

 **Review Responses:**

 **stevonnieandpercabeth: some inspiration was definitely from that story. But I did only read a couple chapters of it, so I don't know quite how similar mine will be to that one. Anyway, mine will not have a lot of OCs (and if there are, they'll be mostly humans or corrupted gems with very small parts)**

 **A/N: How is it going so far? Some more filler coming up. Don't worry, though. The plot will come. I'm posting a lot today bc I'm not going to have time the next couple days. Review review review with any characters or ships you'd like to see more of!**


	5. Chapter 4: Together Breakfast

Chapter 4: Together Breakfast

On Mother's Day, Steven woke up extra early to make Peridot a special breakfast. He knew how much she cared for him, and he wanted to show how much he loved her. He piled together some microwavable waffles, popcorn, maple syrup, whipped cream, and a single strawberry. "It's perfect," he whispered, giggling.

"Peridot!" Steven yelled. "I made you something special! It's a breakfast for us to share! It's a...together breakfast."

Peridot walked in and groaned, brushing her hands through her hair, which looked extra droopy. "Please, Steven, not today. I was up so late doing...stuff," she said.

"That's why you need a pick-me-up!" Steven laughed. "C'mon, Peri, it'll be fun!"

Peridot looked around for something, anything to distract him. "How about we go out on a mission to destroy another gem thing?" she said.

"Yes!" Steven grinned, setting his lopsided pile of waffles into the refrigerator.

They stepped on the warp pad, which transported them to a fiery wasteland that reeked of brimstone. "Whoa," Steven whispered.

They walked along, Steven holding onto Peridot's hand tightly, until Peridot murmured, almost to herself, "We're here."

An abandoned, broken-down temple lay before them, crumbling before their very eyes. Peridot let go of Steven's hand and, with amazing speed, leapt up to the fragile structure's roof. She slid down through a window and giggled almost maniacally. "The scroll is finally mine, it's mine, it's mine!" she whispered, grinning.

Turning to the podium where it should have lain, she widened her eyes in shock. "Steven," she called, faking calmness, "did you move the scroll I was looking for? It's very dangerous and should be destroyed at all costs...by me, of course."

"I didn't take it," Steven responded, "but I'm sure whoever did wouldn't use it for evil. Don't worry, Peri!"

Peridot groaned and face-palmed over her gem. "Just what I deserve. It's karma. I knew it."

She leapt out of the window and landed neatly in front of Steven. "Let's go home and eat your breakfast," she said, managing to smile despite herself.

They skipped to the warp pad and went home, ready to enjoy a perfect Mother's Day meal.

"I destroyed the scroll," the tall one said, putting her hands on the short one's head.

"Oh, what a relief," the slim one said.

"But what about the answers? Did it tell you anything about Steven?" the man whispered, shaking in anticipation.

"It was too dangerous," the tall one said, "and you knew it, Greg."

"I know," Greg said. "But it gave me a sense of hope to think that we could find Steven soon."

"Soon," the others echoed.

 **A/N: More filler but whatever. It's cute, right? And the plot's gotta come sometime. So enjoy some more cuteness and fluff. Review for ships, characters, and more!**


	6. Chapter 5: Frybo (ugh)

"Peri, have you seen my jeans? The ones with no rips?"

"Steven, there are much more important things in this world than your jeans. Have you seen my gem shard? I need to destroy it? Because it's dangerous."

"Sorry, Peri, I haven't. I'll tell you if I spot it, though. What's it look like?"

"It's a broken gem. It's an orange-red color, and it's incredibly important to my- to me."

"I'll go look for it and my jeans in the plaza," Steven said. "See you later, Peri."

Peridot muttered a goodbye and slunk into her room, slamming the door.

Steven, after pulling on his ripped jeans, walked to the front of Biscuits on Wheels, where Miss Snyder's adopted daughter, Cora, danced in a handmade biscuit suit that did not accent her short, slim figure. She pulled off the head when she saw Steven, revealing kinky jet black hair falling to her waist. She rubbed her brown eyes. Her skin was dark.

"Hey, Steven," Cora said, blushing. "Sorry you have to see me like this."

"You look good, Cora," Steven said. "But I need to ask you something. Have you seen a gem shard? It's orange and red? And it's dangerous, apparently."

"Hey, aren't those your other jeans?" Cora said, looking behind him.

"My pants!" Steven cried, running after them. He leapt onto them and pulled the gem shard from the left pocket, throwing his jeans into his backpack.

"I wish this costume could move on its own," Cora said. "Then I wouldn't have to wear this thing. I want to cook, not be a mascot."

"Maybe there's a way for both to happen?" Steven murmured, handing her the gem shard.

Cora stepped out of the costume gently, revealing a simple orange tee, jeans, and brown flats. Steven dropped the gem shard into the costume. The biscuit stood up shakily and began to walk around, twirling a crudely made Biscuits on Wheels sign. Cora and Steven high-fived and walked around town, Cora's hand almost touching Steven's.

Before they got the chance to even take a few steps down the boardwalk, screams and yells of terror came from Biscuits on Wheels. Ms. Love, a tall, muscular woman with straight blue hair falling to her chin, green eyes, and light skin, was backed up to the trailer, shaking. Miss Snyder and Bella lay next to her, unconscious. The biscuit costume stood in front of them, gurgling in a way reminiscent of laughter. Evil laughter.

"Get away from my friends!" Steven screamed.

Cora leapt toward the biscuit, screaming something about her mom. "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER!" she screamed.

The screaming attracted Peridot, who had thought Steven would be able to keep out of trouble for a couple hours. She leapt out of the palanquin and gasped. "The shard."

Peridot ran toward the biscuit costume, dagger in hand. "Time to die," she said calmly, seconds before slashing off its arms and legs.

Peridot snatched the gem shard out of the costume. "Step back, Steven," she growled. "Clear the area, and get your little girlfriend away from this costume."

"She's not-" Obviously thinking better of his statement, Steven grabbed Cora's arm and implored her to move her mom and Bella. Ms. Love grabbed Bella's arms and dragged her to the center of the plaza. Cora and Steven each grabbed one of Miss Snyder's arms, bringing her to safety.

Peridot slashed the costume to pieces, then burned the remains with an ancient lighter. Steven was shocked at the cold, calculating look on her face, and the way she bubbled the gem shard without a second thought. "Go home, Steven," she said, looking at his feet.

Steven walked back home, feeling strange.

"There were some disturbing reports in Ocean Town today," Greg said. "A food truck-"

"Sorry, Greg, we don't want to hear it," the slim one said. "Not today."

"We lost some dangerous gem shards, and we can't find them," the short one said.

The tall one said nothing, lost in thought.

The foursome looked at each other, thinking about Steven.

 **A/N: Some more filler. Frybo always creeped me out. It's definitely one of my least favorite episodes. Review for more!**


	7. Chapter 6: Cat Fingers (double ugh)

"Steven, I guess it's time I told you…" Peridot began, feeling, for the first time in her life, nervous to talk to her son.

"What is it, Peri?" Steven asked, apprehensively. Peridot never spoke to him so seriously.

"I'm keeping something from you. Something big. I'm-I can shapeshift and I want to teach you how. I've been selfish. I'm sorry," Peridot said.

"Shapeshifting?! No way! And I can do it too? No way!"

"You asked for it," Peridot said. She closed her eyes and turned into Steven.

"Whoa, no way!" Steven yelled, jumping back.

Peridot shifted into Cora next, giggling. She shifted into a beagle, howling. She shifted into a delicate crane, then a tiger, then Miss Snyder, then back to herself. "See, it's easy. Just concentrate on whatever you want to shift into and just do it. Make sure to concentrate, though."

Steven closed his eyes tightly and thought about shifting into a cat. _A cat. Cat. Cat. Cat. Cat. Cat. Cat._

"Steven!" Peridot shrieked, looking at him with horror in her eyes. "What were you thinking?!"

Steven lifted his hand to reveal a cat in place of his index finger. He screamed. "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO, HELP?!"

Peridot said, "I don't know, I don't think this has ever happened before. Just calm down, okay? This is not as bad as it looks. In fact, it doesn't even look bad. Don't stress, okay? You're okay. Don't worry about it. Please."

"How can I be calm when my finger is a cat?" Steven asked, breathing heavily.

"Okay, there's got to be a simple solution. How about...you think just what you were thinking before, but think finger instead of cat?"

"Okay, Peri, I trust you," Steven said. He began to concentrate again. _A finger. Finger. Finger. Finger. Finger. Finger. Finger._

"Ew," Peridot groaned, looking away. "Do you think this happens often?"

Steven looked down at himself. Fingers stuck out of his upper arms, neck, knees, and feet. "AAAAAUGHHHHH!" Steven screamed. "I'm a monster!"

Peridot screeched, "This is madness, okay? We simply need to heal you somehow. Maybe…"

Peridot began poking the fingers, trying to make them disappear. Unfortunately, it just aggravated them more, making them flail about almost angrily. "Maybe this'll work," she murmured to herself.

"Hey, Steven, if you've got all these extra appendages, I guess you can't go and fight a living island with me later," Peridot said, hiding a grin.

"No way, an island?! I can't miss that," Steven said, squishing up his face in concentration. _Go away. Go Away. GO Away. GO AWAY._

"AAAAAUGH," Peridot screamed, "why did it get worse?"

Steven looked down to see fingers of all kinds hanging off his calves, toes, and shoulders. By the way Peridot was looking at him, he also had some hanging off his cheeks and forehead. "I'm even more of a monster than before," Steven said, surprisingly calm under the circumstances.

"I have to go, Steven," Peridot said. "The island must be defeated. Figure out a way to get those appendages off of you. Please. It's making me...very uncomfortable."

She stepped onto the warp pad and disappeared. Steven fell onto the ground and curled up, confused and scared. He began to cry, and, as he cried, the fingers melted away and disappeared. He gasped. "No way," he murmured under his breath. He curled up tightly and went to sleep.

After a couple hours, Steven awoke to Peridot returning. She looked shocked and almost scared. "What's wrong, Peri?" Steven asked, worrying.

"What? Oh, nothing. I'm fine. The island is defeated. Nothing to worry about. Why would I be worrying? There's nothing to worry about. Nothing at all," she replied, visibly shaking.

"Hey, your extra appendages are gone! Nice job, Steven," Peridot said. "Now I'm going to work for a bit. Catch you later, cutie."

Steven watched as she disappeared into her room. _I wonder what she does in there._

"We defeated the island, Greg," the slim one said.

"The one that was alive," he asked. "Nice job."

"I could have sworn I saw something in the bushes," the tall one said, "but it was probably just an animal."

"Yeah," the short one said, lost in thought, "just an animal."

 **A/N: But Steven still doesn't know exactly how he healed himself. He just assumed shapeshifting couldn't last forever (which is true). What do you think Peridot is doing in her top-secret room? (I always hated this episode btw so that's why I tried to change the storyline all around)**

 **Should I try to update more often, or am I overwhelming you guys? And is it okay to read? You aren't having trouble figuring out who's speaking? How do you like the story so far? Review review review!**


	8. Chapter 7: Bubble Buddies

Steven rode his bike down the plaza, trying not to be obviously looking out for Cora. He sped up, heading straight for Biscuits on Wheels. He concentrated so hard on the trailer, he forget to watch where he was going. He bumped into another kid, and they crumpled down into a heap.

"Hi, I'm Clark Willis," the kid said, forcing a smile and standing up. He was tall, with a muscular frame. His hair fell in a mop of blond waves around his face. He had brown eyes and pale skin.

"No harm done," Clark said, with a slight sneer, looking at himself for injuries, "don't worry about it."

"Sorry, I was looking for my friend," Steven said. "Not that you can't be my friend too, of course. Do you wanna?"

"Be friends?" Clark said, semi-sarcastically. "Of course."

"Awesome!" Steven said, hugging him. Clark cringed. Just then, a huge earthquake broke out. The two boys held onto each other and screamed. A pink bubble formed around them, and Clark gasped.

"What is this sorcery?" Clark asked, shocked.

"This is new," Steven murmured, lost in thought. "I sometimes have a shield, but this is new."

"Well, how do we get out of it?" Clark asked, his eyes darting nervously around. "I don't know how to break this to you, but I'm claustrophobic and this is a little- no, a lot- on the weird side for me. Can you please get rid of this?! I'm starting to panic. I'm afraid?!"

"It's okay," Steven said, breathing evenly. "We'll just ask my mom. She always has a solution to this kind of stuff."

However, trying to move in sync turned out to be harder than expected. Steven tripped over Clark's foot and fell, with Clark landing on top of him. Clark blushed slightly and stood up. "Sorry, Clark!" Steven said brightly.

They began to roll slowly toward the palanquin until Clark stumbled. Steven decided they should wait for Peridot to come outside. "Hey, Peri!" he screamed, but the bubble muffled his voice.

"C'mon, man," said Clark, who looked exasperated with Steven's actions. "Let's go around town or something. I want to see some people. Maybe meet someone new." He gave a pointed look at Steven after this statement.

Steven, oblivious as always, said, "Okay! Let's go see Brendan and Bella first! They run the best coffee shop in town."

"Is it the only one?" Clark asked, rolling his eyes.

"Yep!" Steven replied, smiling.

They rolled over to Think Coffee, where Brendan and Bella were 'stocking shelves,' or, more accurately, snacking on donuts and talking about rom-coms. "Hey, we're a little stuck here, guys!" Steven yelled as loud as he could.

"Oh, hey Steven," Brendan said, smiling. "Need your favorite people to break you out?"

"Who's your friend?" Bella asked, grinning and blushing. Brendan noticed and put his arm around her.

"You thinking about cheating on me, cutie?" Brendan asked, smirking slightly.

"On you? No way," Bella replied, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder as she wiggled out of his one-armed hug.

Clark watched the whole scene, thoroughly confused. "So are you going to get us out or not?" Clark asked, perplexed.

Bella paused with her flirting just long enough to grab the nearest barstool and smash it over the bubble, right over Clark's head. He and Steven frantically ran out of Think Coffee, Steven yelling a goodbye to Brendan and Bella.

"What is wrong with you, man?!" Clark yelled. "Are those freaks actually your friends?! They could have killed me with that chair. What's wrong with you?!"

Steven backed away from him, the bubble dissolving. Tears ran down Steven's face, dripping to the ground. As soon as the bubble disappeared, Clark bolted, running away from the plaza. Before he could run out of Steven's view, a large four-legged gem (which appeared to be half-corrupted) emerged from behind Think Coffee. She had two torsos. She was curvy, with wide hips. She had chubby cheeks and plump lips. She was pure white, with silver freckle-like spots covering her face and paws, which took the place of hands. Her teeth were sharp and pointed. She has a oval silvery-white danburite gem located in the middle of her forehead, where an eye would have been.

"Help me!" Clark screamed, looking at Steven. Steven leapt into action, attempting to shield Clark from the gem. Before they could take more than a few steps, a tall figure loomed over them.

"Don't hurt me!" Steven cried, terrified.

The figure leapt over the two cowering boys, slashing a familiar dagger through the skin- fur?- of the gem. "Peridot!" Steven cried, excited.

She gave him a small glance of acknowledgement, then watched as the gem poofed. She bubbled the gem, and it disappeared.

"You're amazing!" Steven cried, hugging her.

"Thanks, Steven," she murmured, hugging him back. "Let's go home."

"Well, what about me?" Clark asked. "What am I supposed to do, stuck in this stupid town? If monsters like that are walking all over this place? Gah, I hate it here."

"Then go away," Peridot spoke harshly. "I saw what you were doing to my kid. Stay away from him, and stay away from this place. That's an order." To push the point home, she touched the dagger point to his chest.

Clark ran so fast, he was gone in an instant. "You're safe now, Steven," Peridot said. "You're safe now."

"Yeah," Steven said. "Safe." But he couldn't help but look back at Clark's retreating figure.

"So this new kid, Connie?" the slim one asked. "She asked if she could stay here tonight. She was so kind, and she just needs some guidance. Her parents aren't home often. What do you think? Should we take her in?"

"Obviously!" the short one said. "She'll be a good friend for Steven when we find him too."

"This could be a good idea," the tall one said. "How does Greg feel about it?"

"Helping this girl feels right," Greg said, appearing in the doorway. "She and I were talking, and she's only a couple years younger than Steven. She convinced her parents to move here because it just felt right. She might be a big help in finding our son."

 _Our son._

 **A/N: Clark is not a replacement for Connie, guys, don't worry. He (probably) won't appear again. Anyway, what's going to happen with Connie? Is she going to be a replacement Steven? How are they connected? And what is Peridot doing?**

 **Review if you want me to include more ships, characters, and plotlines (Give me suggestions guys :D)**


End file.
